Pericles Prince of Tyre | Page 8

cup And her prosperities so
largely taste, With their superflous riots, hear these tears! The misery of
Tarsus may be theirs.
[Enter a Lord.]

LORD. Where's the lord governor?
CLEON. Here. Speak out thy sorrows which thou bring'st in haste, For
comfort is too far for us to expect.
LORD. We have descried, upon our neighbouring shore, A portly sail
of ships make hitherward.
CLEON. I thought as much. One sorrow never comes but brings an heir,
That may succeed as his inheritor; And so in ours: some neighbouring
nation, Taking advantage of our misery, Math stuff'd these hollow
vessels with their power, To beat us down, the which are down already;
And make a conquest of unhappy me, Whereas no glory's got to
overcome.
LORD. That's the least fear; for, by the semblance Of their white flags
display'd, they bring us peace, And come to us as favourers, not as foes.
CLEON. Thou speak'st like him's untutor'd to repeat: Who makes the
fairest show means most deceit. But bring they what they will and what
they can, What need we fear? The ground's the lowest, and we are half
way there. Go tell their general we attend him here, To know for what
he comes, and whence he comes, And what he craves.
LORD. I go, my lord.
[Exit.]
CLEON. Welcome is peace, if he on peace consist; If wars, we are
unable to resist.
[Enter Pericles with Attendants.]
PERICLES. Lord governor, for so we hear you are, Let not our ships
and number of our men Be like a beacon fired to amaze your eyes. We
have heard your miseries as far as Tyre, And seen the desolation of
your streets: Nor come we to add sorrow to your tears, But to relieve
them of their heavy load; And these our ships, you happily may think

Are like the Trojan horse was stuff'd within With bloody veins,
expecting overthrow, Are stored with corn to make your needy bread,
And give them life whom hunger starved half dead.
ALL. The gods of Greece protect you! And we'll pray for you.
PERICLES. Arise, I pray you, rise: We do not look for reverence, but
for love, And harbourage for ourself, our ships, and men.
CLEON. The which when any shall not gratify, Or pay you with
unthankfulness in thought, Be it our wives, our children, or ourselves,
The curse of heaven and men succeed their evils! Till when, -- the
which I hope shall ne'er be seen, -- Your grace is welcome to our town
and us.
PERICLES. Which welcome we'll accept; feast here awhile, Until our
stars that frown lend us a smile.
[Exeunt.]
ACT II.
[Enter Gower.]
GOWER. Mere have you seen a mighty king His child, I wis, to incest
bring; A better prince and benign lord, That will prove awful both in
deed word. Be quiet then as men should be, Till he hath pass'd
necessity. I'll show you those in troubles reign, Losing a mite, a
mountain gain. The good in conversation, To whom I give my benison,
Is still at Tarsus, where each man Thinks all is writ he speken can; And,
to remember what he does, Build his statue to make him glorious: But
tidings to the contrary Are brought your eyes; what need speak I?
DUMB SHOW.
[Enter at one door Pericles talking with Cleon talking with CLEON; all
the train with them. Enter at another door a Gentleman, with a letter to
Pericles; Pericles shows the letter to Cleon; gives the Messenger a

reward, and knights him. Exit Pericles at one door, and Cleon at
another.]
Good Helicane, that stay'd at home. Not to eat honey like a drone From
others' labours; for though he strive To killen bad, keep good alive;
And to fulfil his prince' desire, Sends word of all that haps in Tyre:
How Thaliard came full bent with sin And had intent to murder him;
And that in Tarsus was not best Longer for him to make his rest. He,
doing so, put forth to seas, Where when men been, there's seldom ease;
For now the wind begins to blow; Thunder above and deeps below
Make such unquiet, that the ship Should house him safe is wreck'd and
split; And he, good prince, having all lost, By waves from coast to
coast is tost: All perishen of man, of pelf, Ne aught escapen but himself;
Till fortune, tired with doing bad, Threw him ashore, to give him glad:
And here he comes. What shall be next, Pardon old Gower, -- this longs
the text.
[Exit.]
SCENE I. Pentapolis. An open place by the sea-side.
[Enter Pericles, wet.]
PERICLES. Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven! Wind, rain,
and thunder, remember, earthly man Is but a substance that must